Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli has been garnering praise from all corners for leading the team to a historic 2-0 series win in West Indies. The young skipper has led the team from the front with exemplary courage and his skills were on full display in the penultimate Test which the visitors won by a whopping 237 runs. But before that, any result coming out of the game was looking bleak after the whole third day was washed out due to rain and West Indies still in a comfortable position in their first innings. But then Kohli marshaled his bowlers remarkably well on the final day to dismiss West Indies for only 108 to take an unassailable lead in the four-match Test series.
Former India skipper Ajit Wadekar, who is the first Indian captain to win a series in West Indies, has become the latest person to praise Kohli. Congratulating the team on the fantastic victory, Wadekar especially lauded Kohli for his handling of the bowlers.
“A big dose of congratulations to the team currently in the West Indies. Both wins were emphatic and special mention has to be made of Virat, particularly the way he has handled the attack. You need bowlers capable of taking 20 wickets. Equally, you need a captain who understands his attack and can motivate his bowlers.Credit to Virat for the way he has handled both the new-ball bowlers and his spinners,” Wadekar told the Telegraph.
Speaking of the qualities of a good captain, Wadekar said: “A good captain has to first appreciate the limitations of his team. Understanding the team’s strengths is fairly easy, the challenge is to quickly know the limitations and to evolve a strategy to cover all bases.
The legendary cricketer said that Kohli’s desire of learning the art of captaincy is a very commendable quality.
“From a distance, I believe Virat has understood that. In any case, he seems a willing learner, which is an excellent quality to possess.That apart, it’s important for captains to lead from the front. Virat is comfortable doing that. A sure sign of a good leader.”
When asked to give an advice to the young Indian team, he said: “Wouldn’t term it as an advice, but it’s nice to get into the habit of winning. The gains are enormous.
“Virat comes across as a keen student of the game. Going forward, he can only get better,” Wadekar concluded.